Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-27

picking up the lost thread Of the CONVEX
sation, Il don't know why Miss LOCKWOOD
is coming here; / only know that we ar'
to meet in Venice
'sBy previous appointment
"By destiny" she answered, with he
head on her breast and her eyes on th,
ground. Francis burst out laughing
FOR, If you like it better she instantly
resumed, 'by what fools call chance."
Francis angwered easily ont ofthe depths
Of his strong common sense. "Chano
seems to be taking a queer way of bringin.
the meeting about" he said. I've hav,
all arranged to meet at the Palace hotel
How is it that your name is not on the
Visitors List? Destiny ought to have
brought you TO the Palace hotel, too"
She abruptly pulled down her veil.
Destiny may do that yetp' she said.
1.-THE Palace hotel?" she repeated, speak.
ing once more to herself. 1.-THE old hell
transformed into the new purgatory. The
place ITSELF" She paused and laid hel
hand on her companions arm. perhaps
Miss Lockwood is not going there with the
rest of you?" she burst out with sudden
eagerness. "Are you positively sure she
will be at the hotel?"
Positively! Haven't / told you that
Miss Lockwood travels with Lord and Lady
Montbarry? And don't you know that
she is a member of the family? You will
have to move, countess, to our hotel"
She was perfectly impenetrable to the
bantering tone in which he spoke. Yes"
she said, family, 81 shall have to move to
your hotel" Her hand was still on his
arm; he could feel her shiveIiDg from head
to foot while she spoke. Heartily as he
disliked and distrusted her, the common
instinct of humanity obliged him to ask II
she felt cold.
Eyes" she said; ''cold and faint"
Gold and faint, countess, on such a
night as this?"
THE night has nothing to do with it.
Mr.. Westwick. How do you suppose the
criminal feels on the scaffold while the
hangman is putting the rope round his
neck? Cold and faint, too, / should think.
Excuse my grim fancy. You see destiny
has got the rope round my neck-and l
feel it."
She looked about her. They were at
that moment close to tho famous cafe
known as s'Florian's." "Take me in
there" she said. 81 must have something
to revive me. You had better not hesitate.
You are interested in reviving me. / have
not said what / wanted to yet. It's bust
ness, and it's connected with your theatre. /"
Wondering inwardly what she could
possibly want with his theatre, Francis
reluctantly yielded to the necessities Of
situation and took her into the cafe. de
found a quite corner in which they could
take their places without attracting notice.
what will you have?" he inquired, re-
signedly. She gave her own orders to the
waiter, without troubling him to speak for
her.
"Maraschino. And q pot of tea"
The waiter stared; Francis stared. The
tea was a novelty lin connection with
maraschino) to both of them. Careless
whether she surprised them or not, she in
structed the waiter, when her instructions
had been complied with, to pour a large
wineglassful Of the liquor into a tumbler
and fill it up from the teapot. II can'tdO
it for myself" she remarked, my hand
trembles So" She drank the strange mix
ture eagerly, hot as it was. "MaraschinO
punch-will you taste some of it?" she
said. ~ inherit the discovery OF this
drink. When your English queen, Caro-
line, was on the continent my mother was
attached to her court. That much injured
royal person invented in her happier hours
maraschino punch. Fondly attached to
her gracious Mistress. my mother shared
her tastes. And /, in my turn, learned
from my mother. Now, Mr.. Westwick,
suppose l tell you what my business is.
You are manager of a theatre. Do you
want n new play?'
81 always want a new play-provided
it's a good one"
And you pay, if it's good one?"
az pay liberally-in my own interests. "
"It l write a play will you read it?'
Francis hesitated.
"What has put writing a play into your
head?" he asked.
"Mere accident" she answered. 81
had once occasion to te ! my late brother
of q visit l paid to Miss Lockwood when |
was last in Epgland. He took no interest
in what happened at the interview, but
something struck him in my way Of re-
lating if. He said: You describe what
passed between you and the lady with the
point and contrast of good stage dialogue.
You have the dramatic instinct-try if you
can write a play. You might make money
That put it into my head"
These last words seemed to startle
Francis.
Surely, You dou't want money! he
exclaimed.
II always want money. My tastes are
expensive. I have nothing but my poor
little four hundred a year-and the wreck
that is left of the other money. About
1900 in circular notes, no more"
Francis knew that she was referring to
the el0,000 paid by the assurances offices.
"All those thousands gone already?" he
exclaimed.
She blew a puff of air over her fingers.
"Gone like that!n she answered, coOlly.
Baron Rivar?"
She looked at him with a fash of anger
in her hard black eyes.
my affairs are my " secret, Mr..
Westwick. / have made you a proposal
and you have not answered me yet, Don't
say no, without thinking first. Remem-
Der what a life mine has been. / have
seen more of the world than most people,
play wrights included. / have had strange
adventures; / have heard remarkable
stories; / have observed; l have remember
ed. Are there no materials here in my
head for writing a play-if the opportunity
is granted to me?" She waited a moment
and suddenly repeated her strange question
about Agnes. when is Miss Lockwood
expected to be in Venice?"
"What has that to do with your new
play, countess?"
The countess appeared to feel some diff
Guilty in giving the question its fit reply.
She mixed another tumblerful of the maras-
chino punch and drank one good half of it
before she spoke again.
SIT has everything to do with my new
play" was all she said. ANSWER me-"
Francis answered her
Miss Lockwood may be here in a week.
Or, for all 1 know to the contrary, sooner
than that"
Every we'll. If l am n living woman
and q free woman in a weeks time-or if /
am in possession of my senses ina weeks
time don't interrupt me; l know what l
am talking about l shall 90 to England,
and / shall write a sketch or outline Of my
play as q specimen of what l can do. Once